658–5

Conversation No. 658-5

Date: January 27, 1972
Time: 10:27 am - 11:12 am
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Richard M. Scammon and Charles W. Colson; the White House
photographer was present at the beginning of the meeting.

Greetings

[Photograph session]

Seating
-Prime Minister of Ghana [Kofi A. Busia]
-Education
-London
-Coup d’etat

Scammon’s book with Ben Wattenberg, The Real Majority (1970)
-Effect
-1970 election
-Responsibility
-Soundness of theories
-Marijuana legalization
-John V. Lindsay’s position
-Polls
 17

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 658-5 (cont.)



Politics
-Prohibition Party
-Use of election process
-Robert M. La Follette
-Effect on politics
-Political orientation
-Grover Cleveland
-[Thomas] Woodrow Wilson
-Progressivism
-Herbert Hoover
-Depression
-Contribution
-History of politics in early twentieth century
-La Follette
-Compared to Alfred E. Smith
-Historical speculation
-Theodore Roosevelt
-Wilson

Book on historical counterfactualism
-Charlotte Corday’s murder of Jean Paul Marat
-J. William Fulbright
-Edward M. Kennedy
-Civil War

Social issues
-Busing
-Richmond decision
-Forest Hills
-View of whole country
-Feasibility
-Voting blocks
-Philadelphia
-Frank L. Rizzo
-Republican coalition
-Jewish votes
-Black votes
-Cleveland
-Ralph J. Perk
-Black votes
 18

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 658-5 (cont.)


-Black voting psyche
-Education
-James M. Carney
-Rizzo
-Difficulties
-Party identification


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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 13m 28s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2

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-Perception of the Administration
-Rizzo
-Law and order
-Samuel W. Yorty
-Tom Bradley
-Liberal views
-Forest Hills
-Jews
-Perception of public
-Supreme Court
-Presidential action
-Lyndon B. Johnson
-Effect
-Compared to Rizzo
-Johnson
-Busing
-Housing
-Public wishes
-Crime
-Morality
-Marijuana
 19

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 658-5 (cont.)


-New York-Washington axis
-Los Angeles, Chicago
-Commentators
-Problems
-Liberal viewpoints
-Lack of “guts”
-Strength of America
-George Meany
-Busing
-Milton Viorst
-Judith Viorst
-George S. McGovern stance
-Court decisions
-Detroit, Richmond
-Problems
-Fear of violence
-Public education
-Internal Revenue Service [IRS]
-Edward M. Kennedy
-George C. Wallace
-Economic issues
-Social security
-Unemployment insurance
-Government spending
-Individual and group fears
-Ghetto problems
-Blacks, Puerto Ricans, Mexican-Americans
-California
-Montgomery County, Maryland
-Black residents of Washington, DC
-Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner
-Sidney Poitier
-Bourgeoisie
-Race relations
-Social mobility
-Polls
-Busing, crime, housing
-Economic issues
-Leadership
-Message to Democrats
-Encouragement of strongest elements
 20

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 658-5 (cont.)


-Fitness to rule
-The President’s reading
-Biography, history
-H.G. Wells
-Nineteenth century Britain
-Wells
-Importance of education
-History of ruling classes
-Politicians
-Intellectuals
-Use of intellectuals
-College environment
-Elites
-Fitness to rule
-Republicans
-New York, Los Angeles
-Resentments
-Vietnam
-Meany
-Peter J. Brennan
-Frank E. Fitzsimmons
-Intellectual in power
-Democrats, Republicans
-Washington Post
-New York Times
-Time, Life
-Networks
-Consequences
-Analogy to France
-Isolationism
-“Guts”, coverage
-Henry A. Kissinger
-Background
-“Hard hats” compared to intellectuals
-“Know nothings”
-Blacks
-Farmers
-William F. Buckley, Jr.
-Problem with college graduates
-Scammon’s military experience
-Willingness to fight in war
 21

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 658-5 (cont.)


-Stamina
-McGovern
-Programs
-Democratic Party
-Henry M. (“Scoop”) Jackson
-Abdication of power
-Shame
-Power
-Presidential qualities
-US leadership
-The President’s reading
-Editorials
-News summaries
-Ultra-liberals, right-wing
-Prospects of US in world
-US sense of destiny
-Desire to excel
-Effects
-Compared to other nations
-British
-French
-Dutch
-Danes
-Swedes
-Economy
-Japan
-Britain
-France
-Japan
-Chinese, Soviets
-Governmental system
-Strength of people
-West Germany
-Britain
-Problems
-Division
-Japan
-Courage
-Drive
-Socialists
-Turn inward
 22

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 658-5 (cont.)


-Consequence
-Decline
-“Intellectual incest”
-Strength of US
-Majority
-Public perception of issues
-Rejection of permissiveness
-Size of strong elements in population
-John Wayne
-Qualities of majority
-Religion
-Compared to intellectuals
-Administration strategy
-Doing what is fashionable
-National Press Club
-Compared to doing what is right
-Presidential qualities
-Responsibility
-Appeal to majority

Presentation of gifts
-Cufflinks

Scammon and Colson left at 11:12 am.